Randy Moss played injured since October, Vince Wilfork contract talks continue and more

AP PhotoRandy Moss didn’t suffer a season-ending injury like Wes Welker, but Moss was limited after injuring his shoulder in Week 5 against the Broncos.
Randy Moss, criticized mid-season for a lack of effort, separated his shoulder in Week 5 and played injured the rest of the year, according to a Boston.com report.

Moss separated his shoulder in Week 5 against the Broncos, according to a league source. The injury didn’t sideline Moss for any games, although he pulled out of the Pro Bowl after making the team as an alternate.

The source was not certain whether the separated shoulder would require surgery; the typical course of treatment is rest.

Moss caught only one pass for 36 yards against the Broncos Oct. 11. He appeared on the injury report as probable with the shoulder ailment for the next three games. During those games, Moss caught 19 passes for 345 yards and four touchdowns.

Moss’s late-season slide occurred after the Patriots made it official that his shoulder had healed. Over the final eight games of the regular season Moss caught 34 passes for 552 yards and eight touch downs.

This news came just days after ESPN reported that New York Jets cornerback Darrelle Revis continued to taunt Moss.

"Will he fight through tough coverage? Everybody knows Randy Moss," Revis said. "Sometimes he takes plays off. Sometimes he don't. That's his game now. He's still a great player, and he still manages to make plays."

Meanwhile, the Vince Wilfork contract negotiation debacle rages on. An article on Boston.com said that Wilfork won't settle for less than a long contract.

“That’s the one thing you play for, long-term security,’’ Wilfork said. “That’s something we’re trying to get. I don’t want to be playing with one-year deals and franchise tags, because I’ll be right back at the same point I am right now.’’

My feeling is that I would work hard to try to strike a deal with Wilfork. It would be a top priority for me. I think he is a top player at his position, a potential leader in the locker room, and the type of guy I would want on my team. Really, the only question for me is "how much?" Both sides have control over the answer to that and my feeling is that is where this gets sticky. I'd love to hear what each side is willing to do, because it would help us all better understand if the Patriots are holding too hard of a line, or if Wilfork is asking for the moon...

...The main area where I question the Patriots with Wilfork is this: Why did it have to get to this point? Sometimes I wonder if the team is aggressive enough, and willing to extend itself earlier in the process, with possible contract extensions. I'm not saying it would have gotten done, but it just seems like the team makes things harder on itself by waiting toward the end to really heat up contract talks. I can see why that would make a player upset. That being said, I wouldn't go as far as saying there is no excuse for the Patriots not to re-sign Wilfork...

...Reaching a deal with Wilfork would send a positive message to players already on the team. I think that message would be something like "We run our team like a sound business, making tough decisions at times, but we also have a personal side to our decision-making process that rewards those who do it right as long as the demands are reasonable and in line with the market."

Reiss also discussed the NFL draft, where the Patriots have four picks in the first two rounds. "I like the idea of the Patriots taking a running back within the first two rounds," he wrote. "I think getting some fresh, playmaking legs and a fresh approach would help the offense quite a bit.